Privacy policy

This statement explains how we use your personal information. By accessing and using AQA's websites, or by giving us your personal information by email, telephone, at an event or on an application form, you agree to your personal data being processed by us in accordance with this statement, which forms part of the AQA Terms and Conditions. AQA abides by the Data Protection Act 1998 and requires all those who supply or use data to abide by this Act.

AQA reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time, with or without prior notice. By providing AQA with your contact information and by using the AQA website, you agree to this policy.

1. Collecting personal information

AQA is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy. When you register with AQA for one of its services, including this website, you will be asked to provide certain personal information, for example your name, address, email address or phone number. AQA will store this data securely and hold it on computers or in other formats, and use it for the purposes outlined below.

AQA only uses personal information within the context of the purposes outlined above, and it will only keep the information as long as is necessary to support these purposes.

Unless you inform AQA that you do not wish to receive marketing messages from us or other companies in the AQA group, then AQA may occasionally send you information about relevant products and services. AQA will always give you the opportunity of "opting out" of receiving such communications both when you give AQA your information and with each marketing message an AQA company may send you.

3. Controlling access to personal information

Your information may be passed to and used by other companies within the AQA group. Save for the AQA group and agents working directly on our behalf, AQA will not pass on your details to any third party unless you give us permission to do so, or AQA is required to do so by law.

5. Data Protection Act - requesting further information from AQA

The AQA is Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (Registration No PZ6944888) under the requirements of the Data Protection Act (1998).

If you have had any dealings with AQA (for example as a teacher, candidate, parent of a candidate, examiner, employee or as a supplier of goods and services) it is possible that AQA holds information about you as a 'data subject'. You are entitled to ask AQA to disclose the information that it holds about you and, on payment of a standard fee of £10, AQA will share this information with you within 40 days. You are entitled to ask AQA to correct any inaccuracies in any of the data it holds about you.

You would normally direct your request for such disclosure to the Department within AQA with whom you have had dealings. However, if you are uncertain about the identity of your contact or the relevant Department, please address your enquiry to Dr A Bird, Chief Operating Officer, AQA, Devas Street, Manchester, M15 6EX.

6. Payment

Any information collected on the AQA website is encrypted using SSL technology and AQA use a payment service provider that is Level 1 PCI DSS compliant.

Your credit/debit card details will be stored in an encrypted and secure environment that is certified as Level 1 PCI DSS compliant.

If your session is timed out for any reason you will not be able to access the previously input data. This can be inconvenient but it is for your security.

Some of AQA's online systems and payment systems are hosted and/or operated by third parties. This means that your data may be held temporarily by third parties but this will be held solely on behalf of and under the control of AQA.

7. Links to third parties

The AQA website includes links to other third-party websites. AQA is not responsible for the data protection and privacy policies, procedures or the content of these linked websites, or any viruses which may be contained in them. You should read the relevant statements that apply to those sites.

8. Cookies

A cookie is a small text file sent from a website and stored on your computer's hard drive. AQA uses cookies to personalise your use of certain AQA websites, particularly in relation to repeated purchases. When you revisit the website, it uses the information in the cookie to, for example, fill in a form or set a personal preference such as a language option. They can also help us to better understand how you choose to use our website.